This is indeed Sunday morning, and it is also Christmas morning. We, who are gathered here today, have taken a few brief moments from our time of celebrations with our families and friends to pause and worship God. We have come to praise God and to thank God for sending Jesus to be among us for a while.
Those who were gathered last night, heard once again the story of the birt of Jesus as found in the Gospel of Luke. But this morning, our Gospel reading was from the Gospel of John (1:1-14), and it appears to not have much to say about the Nativity Scene. However, we should be very careful about judging John’s Gospel so quickly. The first words in John’s Gospel inform us that"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 1 These words and thoughts of John have given some people trouble in understanding what John is writing about. One of the simplest ways to express what John is writing is to say that Jesus was one with God, and that God was one with Jesus since the very beginning.
We, as United Methodist, are called to believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one. Some individuals would claim that this is not possible. Since Jesus prays to God and talks of God in the third person, they would claim that God and Jesus have to be two totally different individuals. However, we know that even for simple, normal, humans it is possible to be two or three different persons. If you are having difficultity with these thoughts, it might help you to imagine your pastor having a conversation with his mother, his wife, and one of his daughters … all at the same time. Yes, I do know what it is like to be a son, a husband, and a father all at the same moment in time. Could it be possible for God the Creator, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to exist at the same time? Yes! This is the answer that John is writing about. This is one of the corner stones of our Christian Faith.
John is also writing about the Light of God coming into the world. I’m not sure about you, but to be honest it has taken me a very long time to be even "comfortable" in the dark. Actually, I’m not a true fan of absolute darkness; I mean I don’t mind dim light, especially when trying to go to sleep, and even the occasional "darkness" … but I do like being able to see what is around me. But we should also consider that John might be talking about a different kind of darkness; the darkness of the soul, the desire to not be in the presence of God – the one who can see the truth within the soul of each and every individual. And so John is telling us that Jesus came into this world to share the true light with everyone who is willing to be in a true relationship with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
That’s right, the choice is ours, and John is making it clear at the very opening of his Gospel …"But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God." 2 God gives us the power to become members of the household of God, but God also gives us the freedom to refuse this offer. If we do not want to live in the light of God’s world where everything we do, say, or feel will be visible for all to see, then we can choose to turn our back upon this offer … and head into the darkness.
Now there are some individuals who have asked, "If the offer of living in the light is given by God to the chosen, then why are we called to reach out to everyone?" I believe that the answer is simple. God continues to call each and every one of us to actively reach out to every one of our brothers and sisters. It’s not our job to judge them … rather it is our job to bring the light of God into the lives of all of those that we meet. Remember, we have been told by Isaiah that, "all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."3
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
"The Lord is with you."
In this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Luke (1:26-38) we have once again heard the words that the Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, “Greatings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[1] Now wait a minute, of course Mary is the favored one; after all Mary is the mother of Jesus. And while we are at this point in our time of reflection; doesn’t it also seem very obvious that the Lord would be with the mother of Jesus … after all, Jesus is the Son of God! However, to be honest, these thoughts and feelings are in reality based upon our own personal knowledge of past events, as well as the teachings of our faith over these many years.
Is it possible for us to imagine, even for a few brief moments, what must have been the reality of these precious words spoken in their original setting? Imagine for a few moments that someone, claiming to be a messenger of God, has appeared before a young woman. This Angel then informs the soon to be married woman that she has found favor with God, and that to fulfill God’s plan, she must soon be with child. She is told that if she accepts the will of God, then she will give birth to a son. What thoughts would be going through our worldly minds now?
How can it be possible for this young engaged woman, who has not yet been with any man, to have a child? If she is ever found to be pregnant, then everyone else within her family and community will believe that she has done “something wrong” – “something immoral!”
And so, we are now beginning to see what depth of faith Mary must have truly had in these promises of God. For it was her faith that gave Mary the strength to put behind her any considerations for what her family and the rest of her community – or for that matter the entire world – would be thinking or saying. Mary answered, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”[2]
Many of us gathered together here in this time of worship have experienced the presence of God. We also know that explaining these encounters to others who have not yet experienced this presence is very often difficult, but one of our key beliefs is that with God all things are possible. Now modern day scientists have come a long way in coming to more fully understanding the physical world around us, but without faith in an Ultimate Creator they still do not have all of the answers.
And this is what it means to have faith: to trust that God will be with us. We are encouraged to trust that we will not be required to face the challenges of our physical world alone. Like Mary, if we are willing to follow the call of God, willing to be a humble servant, rather than always demanding that we alone have the power to create our own futures, then we, like Mary, can always trust that we will forever be close to God.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
“… I will make an everlasting covenant with them.”
The Prophet Isaiah is announcing the coming of a time of good news[1]; a time when there will be great rejoicing - for God will be bringing good news to the oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, and those who mourn. They are the ones who for so long have lived in the darkness of this world. And yet the saddest of realities is to know and understand that they are still among us even today. As we prepare for the arrival of our great celebrations of Christmas, there are still among us the oppressed and the brokenhearted, those who are being held as captives and as prisoners, and those who continue to mourn.
Do not be deceived, there are individuals even within our society – right here in America – who still struggle with different forms of oppression. Maybe they don’t speak English, or maybe they can’t speak at all. Maybe they have no hearing, or maybe they are blind. Maybe they are the wrong gender or race. Maybe they are in love with the wrong gender or race. Maybe they are too old, or maybe they are too young. Maybe they are being held prisoner by an abusive spouse, parent, or child. Maybe they are being exploited by an employer or government to the point of slavery.
But there is hope, for this is the promise that has been given to us; there shall come the light of God’s salvation into the lives of all. The real question is whether we will seek to follow the true light of God, or shall we be distracted by the false lights of this world and the ones of our own imaginations.
John the Baptist was sent by God to testify to the true light of God. But those who were in power – those whose authority among mortals was derived and assigned by the worldly powers – came to question John. At first glance it might seem that they were asking John if he is the light[2].
However, those of us who remember later parts of the story of John the Baptist know that these others – the servants of the Pharisees – were there to ask questions to set a trap against John. They also were there to guard against any individual who would attempt to take away their power within the community. Their future plans would be ignored by the masses if this distraction was not stopped as soon as possible.
Has this time come again? Are there all around us such loud voices who are calling out to us … to each one of us … so that we have somehow forgotten the path to the true light of God’s hope and God’s love? Have we become so distracted and blinded by the glitter and the glamor of our secular world that we have lost sight of the very essence of the true meaning of the coming event? Have we become so overwhelmed by the messages of this secular world that we do not hear the gentle whisperings of the Holy Spirit calling us back into the arms of God?
The choice is ours to make. God has given each one of us the freedom to choose. We can follow the teaching of this world, or we can seek to follow after the true light … the light sent by God to lead us home.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
“… he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
In today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark (1:1-8), we have clearly heard that the prophet Isaiah had declared many years earlier that there would be a messenger sent ahead of the coming Lord. The task of this messenger was to warn all of us that we are to prepare ourselves for the day of the coming of the Lord. Indeed, John the Baptizer was and continues to be this messenger. John himself was a deeply faithful man of God, but he understood that the real function of his calling was to point the way to the true Son of God; to the true presence of God among us.
John had become somewhat famous as a servant of God, and most often referred to as “John the Baptist.” He preacher to anyone who would be willing to listen, that we are only the creation of God and not the true masters of all that we may see. John’s message was that we should return to a life of obedience to God, and that the laws of our faith in God are still viable in today’s world. Those who came to listen to him and then decided to dedicate their lives to obeying God were symbolically washed clean of their past sins by being baptized.
John’s fame had become so great and wide spread that many of those who came to see him began to believe that he was the Messiah that they and their ancestors had been promised. Now not many of the people alive today, who believe in the promised coming of the Lord, are willing to claim that the Lord has arrived and that they can show him to you and others. And at this point in the Gospel of Mark, John is clearly “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”[1]
John makes clear in his teachings that all he can do for those who have come to him is to help them cleanse themselves of their past sins, and guide them back on to a path headed in the direction of becoming closer to God. In our present world we need to take care, for there are many individuals who would claim to be able to help us to find greater wealth and true happiness. However, the reality has been that these individuals have all too often have only been interested in taking control of what little wealth we may have so that they could find their own personal happiness.
John did not want to live a life of great comfort and fame. In fact, he told all who would willingly listen to him, that another was coming; One who was truly greater than John himself. In fact John told everyone that, “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”[2] John was making it clear to everyone who would listen to him that he was not the promised Messiah – the savior of the world. That job was for someone else. That job would be assigned by the one who had promised that a Savior would be sent into this world.
Do you remember what powerful words of comfort the author of Isaiah (40:1-11) wrote in this morning’s reading? The words which stand out the strongest for me where these: “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.”[3] It is God who has promised that all who would follow the will of God would be rewarded with eternal life in the House of the Lord. And so the choice is ours to make: will we follow the teaching of this world, or will we believe in the promises of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?
Sunday, November 27, 2011
“… you do not know when the time will come.”
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark (13:24-37) we clearly heard what at first may seem to be a very disturbing message given directly from Jesus to all of those who would willingly listen. On this first Sunday of Advent we might have expected to hear some other kind of message; maybe one about the need for the coming of the promised Savior into this world to be announced by a prophet, but instead this morning we are hearing Jesus telling all of us to be continuously prepared for the end of our time here on earth. Apparently Advent is not only a time for all of us to prepare ourselves for the up-coming celebration of the season of Christmas, but it is also time for us to remember the true reason for this season of celebration; the celebration of the coming of God directly into this world in human form to bring us clear messages of hope and salvation.
Maybe the most well-known passage in the Bible is one that most of us have seen advertised on placards at almost every sporting event around the world; John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” But the truth is … there is more to this verse.
John 3:16 really says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”[1] That second part of the verse is really very important. If we are expecting to be “saved,” then we must “truly” believe in God and in Jesus. And if we are true believers, then God and Jesus will be able to tell as they will be our final judges.
Now we need to be very careful at this point, for being a “believer” is not just a matter of words. Time and time again, we can find stories and passages in the Bible where the being a “believer” is not just a matter of words. Being a true believer is also a matter of actions. Being a believer is about both words and actions.
There has been in the past, in a few faith traditions, the practice of final absolution; the chance to confess our sins upon our death bed, be forgiven, and thereby gain entry into eternal life. There have also been those times in the lives of different individuals, when they would knowningly sin with the expectation of being able to “buy, earn, or repent” their way into forgiveness. And to be honest with you, I’m not about to claim that any of this is either true or false.
I do believe that God and Jesus will be our final judge. I do believe that we will be held accountable for all of our actions and all of our intentions. But I also believe in the mercy and love of God and Jesus. Which one of us, as parents, would not embrace and love any of our children who having done something wrong and then honestly admitted to it and humbly asked us for forgiveness?
But in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus also included a dire warning; “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.”[2] If we are counting on having time to confess and repent at a later date, then we may end up missing the mark. The mistake for any of us would be to think that it will be okay to break one of the Ten Commandments, after all we can confess on our death beds. That of course is assuming that you will be given advanced notice. Personally, I’ve survived at least 3 heart attacks, 1 car crash, and a 12 gauge shotgun round striking the ground 3 feet to the right of me. There is no guarantee that we will have advanced notice of our death.
And of course there is also the question of intention. I’m not 100% sure about God and Jesus, but I do know that I’ve all too often “not forgiven” an individual who smugly came to me with a fake confession, or even worse – they knew that as a Christian “I had to forgive them.”
When we pray to God for forgiveness, maybe we should remember the words of the author of Isaiah when they wrote,”Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever.”[3]
Sunday, November 20, 2011
"When was it that we saw you ... ?"
Today is Christ the King Sunday. Upon first reflection, it may seem strange for us, as American citizens, to claim and even acknowledge that we are under the rule of a King, but we should remember two very important facts. The first is that we are not just American citizens, for we are also Christians. And as such we have professed a faith in a higher authority than any to ever be found among the humans of this world. Secondly, we are among the believers and the followers of Jesus Christ who are not only expecting his return, but are also looking forward to openly acknowledging him as our King.
In today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew (25:31-46), we hear about the coming day of the final judgment. Matthew begins this disclosure by telling everyone that the Son of Man will be seated in full glory on the Throne of Judgment; for it is before this throne that every single member of humanity will be required to await the final judgment to be pronounced by Jesus himself.
What is the criterion for judgment? Will we be required to repeat from memory one or all of the Affirmations of Faith found in the back of our United Methodist Hymnals? Will we be required to list all of the Ten Commandments? Will we be required to show all of the accounts to prove our tithe? Which one of the Old Testament Laws did I violate? Having broken it, did I remember to make the correct sacrifice? How many wrong answers do I get before I am actually thrown into the pit? What is the criterion for this final judgement?[1]
Jesus tells everyone who would be willing to listen and understand the implications, just exactly what the final judgment will be like. Those who will be invited to inherit the kingdom are the ones who have given him food, drink, welcome, clothing, care, and visitation. Those who will be required to depart into the eternal fire are the ones who have not given him food, drink, welcome, clothing, care, and visitation.
It is interesting that both groups of individuals responded with the same question; “Lord, when was it that we saw you …?”[2] Both those who are invited to inherit the Kingdom and those who are sent away are claiming that they never once saw Jesus in any state of distress or need. But the reality is found in his answer; “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”[3]
Please don’t misunderstand my words or the Scriptures. Jesus is not giving a new list of things to do. Rather Jesus is talking about our attitude ... our attitude towards God … our attitude towards each other … and our attitude toward ourselves. If we are willing to embrace this attitude of reaching out to all of our brothers and sisters in the world, then we will understand more clearly this lesson given to us by Jesus.
In closing I wish to share two thoughts. The first is from Paul’s letter written to the Ephesians, “so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.”[4] And the last is the first verse of Hymn 441: “What does the Lord require for praise and offering? What sacrifice, desire, or tribute bid you bring? Do Justice; love mercy; walk humbly with your God.”[5]
[1] “… the criterion of judgment is not confession of faith in Christ. Nothing is said of grace, justification, or the forgiveness of sins. What counts is whether one has acted with loving care for needy people. Such deeds are not a matter of ‘extra credit,’ but constitute the decisive criterion of judgment presupposed in all of verses 23-35 …”
The New Interpreter’s Bible Volume VII, © 1995 by Abingdon Press, Nashville. Page 455
[2] Matthew 25:37 and 44 NRSV
[3] Matthew 25:40 & 45 NRSV
[4] Ephesians 1:18 NRSV
[5] Albert F. Bayly, 1949; alt. UMC Hymnal © 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House. Number 441.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Encourage One Another
In preparation for today’s sermon I have been doing a lot of deep thinking, for there are several interesting and yet disturbing aspects of this Parable of the Talents1. I’m not disturbed by the idea of a slave being entrusted with the property of the master, nor am I disturbed by the idea that the master issued different amounts of "Talents" to different slaves. And while we are talking about the term "Talents," I want to remind some of you that in the time of Jesus a "Talent" was a brick of pure silver worth more than 15 years’ wages of a laborer. And so the "Master" gave one man the wages of 75 years worth of labor, the second man was given the wages of 30 years worth of labor, and the last man received 15 years worth of wages for a laborer. This master must have truly trusted these men.
Now the trust of the master was well placed in the case of the first 2 men, for both of them returned double what they had been given after a long time. As for the third man; his fear of the Master’s wrath led him to bury what was given to him so that he would not "lose" any of it.
And here comes what at first troubled me; not that the Master told the slave that he should have at least invested the money with the bankers, nor that the Master gave the "Talents" to the one who was now in possession of ten "Talents", but rather that the Master had the "worthless slave" tossed into the "outer darkness."
And then it occurred to me that these "Talents" in the parable just might not be bricks of silver. What if the "talents" given to each and every one of the servants were those that are defined by Webster as "a natural gift or ability"? What if those who were listening to this parable of Jesus were being told about what will happen upon The Day of Final Judgment to them if they were to decide to withhold or bury their God given talents rather than sharing or using them with their brothers and sisters … regardless of race, creed, wealth, or behavior?
These thoughts make more sense to me than those that would focus upon Jesus giving a lesson about being a financially responsible servant to the wealth of this world to his follows, to those within the crowd, or even to the Scribes and the Pharisees. Yes, I do believe – and I do practice – tithing. If we want to give a gift to God, if we want to truly give from the heart, then these gifts should come after we have tithed. And I do not for one minute believe that tithing is restricted to our worldly wealth … I believe that we are also called by God to use our talents not just for our own interests, but also for the interests of our sisters and brothers.
Do you remember what was read at the beginning of the 5th and final chapter of the 1st of Paul’s two known letters to the believers at Thessalonika2? What a scarey passage about the coming day of judgment. But this reading also has great words of encouragement: "But you, beloved, are not in darkness … for you are children of light …"3 And as children of the light we are called upon to reach out to everyone that we meet. We are called upon to use our talents to answer the challenge that Jesus calls us to and that Paul sent to the Thessalonians as well as to us … "Therefore encourage one another and build up each other …"4
1 - Matthew 25:14-30
2 - 1st Thessalonians 5:1-11 NRSV
3 - 1st Thessalonians 5:4a & 5a NRSV
4 - 1st Thessalonians 5:11a NRSV
Now the trust of the master was well placed in the case of the first 2 men, for both of them returned double what they had been given after a long time. As for the third man; his fear of the Master’s wrath led him to bury what was given to him so that he would not "lose" any of it.
And here comes what at first troubled me; not that the Master told the slave that he should have at least invested the money with the bankers, nor that the Master gave the "Talents" to the one who was now in possession of ten "Talents", but rather that the Master had the "worthless slave" tossed into the "outer darkness."
And then it occurred to me that these "Talents" in the parable just might not be bricks of silver. What if the "talents" given to each and every one of the servants were those that are defined by Webster as "a natural gift or ability"? What if those who were listening to this parable of Jesus were being told about what will happen upon The Day of Final Judgment to them if they were to decide to withhold or bury their God given talents rather than sharing or using them with their brothers and sisters … regardless of race, creed, wealth, or behavior?
These thoughts make more sense to me than those that would focus upon Jesus giving a lesson about being a financially responsible servant to the wealth of this world to his follows, to those within the crowd, or even to the Scribes and the Pharisees. Yes, I do believe – and I do practice – tithing. If we want to give a gift to God, if we want to truly give from the heart, then these gifts should come after we have tithed. And I do not for one minute believe that tithing is restricted to our worldly wealth … I believe that we are also called by God to use our talents not just for our own interests, but also for the interests of our sisters and brothers.
Do you remember what was read at the beginning of the 5th and final chapter of the 1st of Paul’s two known letters to the believers at Thessalonika2? What a scarey passage about the coming day of judgment. But this reading also has great words of encouragement: "But you, beloved, are not in darkness … for you are children of light …"3 And as children of the light we are called upon to reach out to everyone that we meet. We are called upon to use our talents to answer the challenge that Jesus calls us to and that Paul sent to the Thessalonians as well as to us … "Therefore encourage one another and build up each other …"4
1 - Matthew 25:14-30
2 - 1st Thessalonians 5:1-11 NRSV
3 - 1st Thessalonians 5:4a & 5a NRSV
4 - 1st Thessalonians 5:11a NRSV
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Who Will Be Among the Blessed?
Who will be among the blessed? This is a question which has most likely come into the thoughts of every human being since the beginning of time. Many of us in our modern society are still dealing with this same question. There are those who are all too willing to tell us the truth, if we can pay them the right price. Our society also has a few answers. Blessed are those who have the most money, for they can buy anything made in this world. Blessed are those who have great beauty and talent, for they will be rich, famous, and envied by all. Blessed are those with great political power, for they shall make the rules by which all others must live. And on and on goes the list. But the reality is that most of these blessings are fleeting. We have discovered that over time beauty fades, talent is lost, power is taken away by others, and as for money and other treasures of wealth … you can’t take any of it with you into the after-life! The best we can hope for is to be able to leave it behind for our loved ones or for others.
And so we are still left facing the basic question: “Who will be among the blessed?
Today’s scripture readings contain words of hope and celebration, as well as an implicit warning. In the Revelation reading (7:9-17) we heard an elder asking, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?”[1] What a golden opportunity for this author to announce to everyone who would read this text that these are the chosen ones: the ones who were blessed by God from the very beginning of time to live a life of rich blessings in great comfort without any struggles of any kind. But that is not what the elder declared. The elder tells the author (and all of us who would read these words) that, “These are they who have came out of the great ordeal … They will hunger no more, and thirst no more …”[2]
In case you missed these very important implications; the ones who are among the blessed are the ones who have faced “the great ordeal,” and they have hungered and been thirsty. God has never promised any of us that every second of our lives here on earth would be kind, gentle, or easy. What God has promised us is that even in our times of trouble and our moments of deepest despair, we will not be alone.
In our reading from Matthew’s Gospel (5:1-12) we hear Jesus speaking to the crowds of people … and yes – even to us today.
His message is about how we should really understand what it means to be among the “Blessed.” Jesus is not using a “worldly” standard in his listing of who are among the blessed. He is using a standard which has been given by the Creator.
Some of those who are listed as being among the blessed are very obvious: the pure of heart, the merciful, and the peacemakers. Of course even though these may seem to be obvious to us, we should also remember that each of these individuals will be judged by God; for it is God that will be able to see the true motivation of each heart.
The others may not at first seem as obvious: the meek, the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and those whom other people revile and persecute. But it is again important for us to remember that Jesus is helping all of us to understand that God will not be judging us by our worldly standards; rather it is the Creator who will be looking into the very depths of our true motivations for all of our actions.
In closing I will share with you that these scripture readings are listed for November 1st of each year. This day is known in the Christian calendar as “All Saints Day.” It is a time for each one of us to pause and remember those who have gone before us.
Is it possible that God will find value in the life of each of those who have gone before us? Is it possible that we have known and lived with “saints” in days past?
A friend of mine, from many years ago, was an artist who loved to paint and sculpt. One day while we were both at an old Boy Scout Camp helping to clean up the grounds, we came across a piece of drift wood. It was misshapen and half rotted, but he decided that he wanted to take it home rather than just add it to the pile of firewood. That following spring we were again helping to get the camp ready for a new gathering of summer campers, and he asked me come with him to the craft shed. When we got there, I saw the most beautiful piece of carved and polished wood that I have seen in many years. It was hanging over the door, inviting everyone to come into this place of creation. Jack smiled when he saw my reaction, and told me that this was the piece of wood that I was ready to toss “just as useless trash” into the fire. He was a very creative man who was able to find value in every object.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
"steadfast love endures forever"
Being the official leader of any group of human beings is a very hard task. It is not often that “everyone” within the group “supports” the one who is the leader. As a result there will normally be those who will challenge every discussion made or action taken by the group leader. And of course there have been throughout the course of history far too many examples of local or worldly leaders who have let the power of their office inflate their egos and their own sense of self-worth and justification.
In our Gospel reading (Matthew 23:1-12) this morning, Jesus is reminding those who are listening to him that over the course of time the Scribes and the Pharisees have become like other earthly leaders. He is telling his listeners that these leaders have become hypocrites. They now are requiring and demanding great discipline from all of the other followers, while at the same time they excuse themselves from living by such rules and they do just exactly what pleases themselves and their bodies.
Jesus both cautions and encourages his true followers by reminding them that, “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”[1] If you are not sure of the deep truth of these words, than I suggest that you review the recent events found in our own world news.
In reality it is often all too easy to find fault with the actions of any group of worldly leaders over a long enough time frame. Some might even be tempted to wonder about the actions of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. But we must be sure to remember that God is not human. God is the creator of all that exists … including humanity.
Do you remember what the author of Psalm 107 wrote as the opening words for this outstanding song of praise? “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”[2] God may become angry with us from time to time, but we are told that God’s love is steadfast and that it will endure forever.
Now the truth is that I love my children, but there are times when I have become angry with them. And yes, there have been times that I have expressed my anger. And yet I continue to love them with my entire being. I continue to reach out to them with compassion and love; hoping that they will choose to change their course of action.
Now I’m a simple human being and if I can find within myself the ability to forgive those who have done hurt-full actions in my eyes, then how much more is God capable of continuing to love each and every one of us?
What about the question: why is God allowing hurtful things to happen in this world? The reality is that the question is being asked in the wrong direction. We should be thinking about the choices that we are making. Are we following the teachings of our faith? Are we willing to embrace, encourage, and love our families the same way that God loves us?
And if you are among the lucky ones who are able to answer in the positive – like I am – then consider this question: Am I also willing to embrace, encourage, and love my neighbor, or someone who does not even look like me?
The dark side of humanity has had many followers in the past, and there are just as many with us today. But today our challenge is to truly belief in the words of the Psalmist … That God’s love endures forever. That the strongest power and hope in this world is the power of love … for true love will bring hope to all of creation!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
What is your motivation?
Once again we heard in our reading from the Gospel of Matthew (22:34-46) that the Pharisees are attempting to set a trap for Jesus. This trap was set while they are engaging him in a period of questions and answers. It is true that there is to be found a value in any question, but the real value of the question only becomes clear when the actual motive for the question is understood. When a co-worker asks me if I have been paid yet, there are many possible motives. Is he asking me about pay because he wants to know if I have remembered to pick up my pay? Or is he asking me because he has forgotten when we are being paid? Or is he asking me because he needs to borrow some extra money from me? Or did I somehow forget to repay a loan to him? What is his real motive for the question?
And then there are the questions of motivations for actions. When my friend offers to come over in the evening to watch a special event on TV, is it because he wants to be spending time with me? Or is it because his TV is broken? Or is it because he doesn’t have that Cable Channel? What is the motive for his actions?
In our scripture readings however, it is one of the lawyers of the Pharisees who is asking Jesus a direct question about which is the greatest among the many laws of their faith. In all honesty we know that the lawyer’s real motivation is to set up a trap for Jesus in the presence of his faithful followers. But the answer that Jesus gave did not leave anyone with a chance to set a trap for him; “[Jesus] said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."[1]
And so we should listen carefully to these very critical answers. We, as Christians, are called to first love God with our heart, soul, and mind. And then we are called to love our neighbors as our selves.
But how will this love manifest itself? How will God know that we are in love with God? How will our neighbors know that we are in love with them?
The simplistic answers would be for me to tell you that you are all to attend worship on each and every Sunday, that everyone of you are to go beyond tithing in your giving, and each and every one of you are to be working on at least one committee within the church’s leadership structure. For some of you, the answer would be to stop your resistance and to begin the process of answering your call into ministry. Any yet, even though it would be wonderfully great if every one of you where to follow these paths, the reality is to be found in the motivation.
A young man calls on a young and attractive lady. He is gentle, kind, and courteous with her. But the reality is that he wants others to see him with this attractive young woman so that other beautiful young ladies will want to date him. It also doesn’t hurt that her father has a lot of political pull, and as a result he will in the future have an easy and high paying job. Somethings the motivations are more important than the actions.
A young mother is working as a check-out clerk at a local chain store. An elderly man is paying for his weekly food purchases, and in the process his wallet falls out of his pocket onto the floor. No one notices at this moment, and so he walks away, unaware of what he has left behind. A short while latter the young woman sees that wallet and checking inside for any identification, she finds not only his license but $100 in cash. If she where to keep the money and toss everything else … no one would ever know! And yet she returns that wallet and all of its contents; because she and God would know the truth.
Some of you who hear these words of mine in this time of reflection, might take exception to my thoughts and comments. However, I know my own motivation. As Paul wrote to the faithful community of believers in Thessalonica; “but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts.”[2] Truly it is about motivation! Why are we doing what we are doing? Are we trying to “buy our way into eternal life?” or are we trying to help our brothers and sisters … our children and grandchildren … to discover a better way of life here in this world, so that when eternity comes we will be able to find our way into the presence of the ever lasting God of Love and Grace.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Many are called ...
This morning’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew (22:1-14) contains a parable which I find disturbing on multiple levels. Jesus is telling those who are gathered about him that God could be compared to an earthly king who has thrown a big pre-wedding party for his son, and that the invited guests – the chosen ones from society – would not come. Not only would they insult the king by not coming to the banquet, but when the servants where sent to remind them that they were invited by the king – those elite ones made excuses that they had more important “worldly” things to do. Some of the chosen ones even decided that they had the right to seize the king’s servants – beating them and even killing them!
This kind of conduct does not really surprise me. The actions of any society’s elite over the course of centuries has taught many of us that their “self-centeredness” and their “sense of entitlement” can blind them to the reality of almost any situation. A mob of poor people are in the streets crying out in desperate hunger for bread to eat, and the elite respond, “Let them eat cake.” Those individuals whose loved ones have been arrested, beaten, or killed because of their race are walking in the streets in protest, and the elite of the society call for them to be washed away with fire hoses.
The king’s reaction in this morning’s parable was to send out his troops to destroy all of those who had murdered his servants and refused to come to his son’s party. The king even had his servants burn their city to the ground. But what of his son’s wedding party? Who would now be attending this event? The king sent his servants into the streets to gather all that they could find. Everyone, the bad and the good, were gathered so that the wedding hall would be filled to the brim with guests to honor his son.
And now comes for me a very disturbing thought. The king discovers an individual within the hall who is not dressed in the proper clothing to celebrate the wedding of his son. The man is directly questioned, but he is speechless, and so the king has this man bound and thrown into the outer darkness. For some this is a disturbing thought, and it may even appear that the king is merciless, but we should remember that this is a parable being told by Jesus. I believe that the issue is not the type of physical clothing that the individual wore. Rather the type of clothing is a metaphor for the individual’s attitude toward being at the event.
We are all called by the Creator to a time of celebration. Some will come to truly celebrate, they express their unbridled joy for all that God has created and shared. Some will come out of fear; fear of being punished by God or by others for ignoring the call, and so they come only out of a sense of “social duty” to be observed and not to truly celebrate.
Others will not come to join in the time of celebration. But we must be very careful of becoming judgmental for they have many reasons. True, there are those who do not believe in the Creator, but there are also others. A few of them may have “pressing responsibilities” that MUST be attended to: some may have an ill loved one for whom they are responsible for, another has finally – after many years of struggle – gotten a chance to become gainfully employed, and yet another is being held against their will. And yet there are those who have become so lost that they can not even remember how to celebrate.
I hope I have not put any of you to sleep, for it is possible that these thoughts can also be applied to those of us who for years have been attending these gatherings of celebrations. May be they are the ones who are sitting next to us, or may be it is we who have forgotten how to celebrate.
Paul is writing to each one of us as well as to the faithful worshiping community found within the church at Philippi, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. … the God of peace will be with you.”[1]
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Becoming like him
Today is World Communion Sunday, and in a short while we will be joined together sharing in a service dedicated to commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples. This is the Sunday that has been set aside each year by most of the world’s active worshiping Christian communities to celebrate our unity. Though there are differences in each of our worshiping communities, yet we are still united in our dedication to following the teachings of Jesus. Each one of us is encouraged to freely engage in our thoughts and responses to the stories that have been passed down to us throughout the ages.
Our reading this morning from the Gospel of Matthew is known by many as the Parable of the vineyard. Jesus is continuing to engage both his followers and the chief priests and the Pharisees. Parts of this Parable are very easy to inteperate; the vineyard is either the Promised Land or the entire earth, the landowner is God, the slaves sent to collect the produce are the prophets, and the son is Jesus.
As to who are the tenants, that’s a different question. They can be seen as all of humanity, all of the Israelites, or maybe they are to be seen as the chief priests and the Pharisees.
However they are seen, Jesus is once again giving them a chance to see the reality of the consenquences for their actions in the past and the choices they have for their future. We are called upon by our Creator to remember that we do not own this world forever. Rather we are here but for a short time as the “care takers” of God’s creation.
How would we answer the question possed by Jesus? Would we be as blood thirsty and sanctamonious as the chief priests and elders? When we believe that someone has sinned, do we always demand that they be punished or do we really believe that forgiveness is possible for anyone? If we believe that we are worthy of compassion and forgiveness, than why would we not accept and believe that compassion and forgiveness is available to all?
And so we hear the words that Jesus spoke to those who would not allow forgiveness to be extened to others, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.”[1]
In Paul’s letter to the faithful community in Philippi, we heard how much Paul desires to become like Jesus. But what does it mean when an individual says that they want to become like Jesus? This seemingly simplistic statement is in reallity an extremely complex one with an almost endless maze of possible courses of actions and desires.
Was it Paul’s true desire to be rejected by the religious authority to the point of being arrested, beaten, and crucified so that in three days he would also be resurrected? Or was Paul truly encouraging others to be more deeply embracing of the teachings of Jesus? Maybe Paul really desired to become an even more encouraging, loving, healing, embracing, and humble teacher. Or could it be that Paul’s true desire was to become a confrontational prophet, speaking out against those who claiming to be the true agents of God’s judgements? Is it also possible that Paul had a vision of some combination, of a few or many, of the other terms which could be used to discribe the life and the actions of Jesus?
I believe that Paul was a man gifted with a clear vision of the task of helping all of our brothers and sisters to return to the loving embrace of our Creator. We are called not to being set apart so that we may be considered special, rather we are called to action. We are called to help bring our brothers and sisters back into the loving embrace of the family of God. It is never the desire of a truly loving family to create or enforce isolation. Rather a loving family truly wants to remain fully connected to each other and richly healthy.
Jesus came to remind us of the truth, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that eveyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”[2]
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